SEEN in Journalism: The lessons of Minneapolis

[SionnachRuadh]

A useful post on how the media have tied themselves in knots over the Minneapolis shooter's trans status.

Also, very importantly - in cases of mass shootings there's often discussion of the shooter's mental health. In cases of mass shooters with special identities, that runs up against ideological taboos.

The lessons of Minneapolis - SEENinJournalism’s Substack

Thanks. A good clear article. Watching the media tie themselves in knots, and the Governor of Minnesota forgetting that the victims here are the children and their families, has been appalling.

Let us not forget that the Governor of Minnesota is certifiable lunatic Tim Walz, who has declared Minnesota a sanctuary state for trans identified minors, and who was the Democrats' VP candidate last year.

Not my state, but comments like that from somebody who lives in a country where Farage is about to become president and all your roads are covered in red paint shouldn't be throwing stones in the glasshouse

The fact you think anyone who offers protection to persecuted minorities is crazy says a whole lot aboutcha

Hello my Murican friend.

We don't have a president and I have no idea what you mean by red paint, unless you've been learning roadman slang from the internet and taken it literally.

There are plenty of things one could say about Gov. Walz, notably his very cosy relationship with the Chinese Communist Party (ask him what their LGBT policy is). But I am unconvinced by the idea that minors who want to have cross-sex hormones are equivalent to 19th century slaves escaping on the Underground Railroad.

Be better!

We don't have a president......

And frankly that's a good thing.

Also the ICE actions and banned list are hardly showing the USA as a shining star at protecting persecuted minorities.

What was that about glass houses?

I mean I'm not a monarchist in principle, and I'm not a huge fan of King Charles, but at least he stands in the way of the Brits making Stephen Fry president

the American war of independence passed you by I take it - you know the one you won to ensure you didn't have a monarch which is why you have a president and we don't

Great reasoning. Because Farage has a following in the UK, while much of FWR would despair if he became PM, then we must accept the insane things Walz has been saying for years.

Having an American explain how things operate outside their country is always entertaining.

"The observance of preferred pronouns for a child murderer".

Says it all doesn't it? Derailing slightly - I noticed comments under that from a "Jo March". I do hope it's the same fantastic commentator from The Times who did so much in the early days of this nightmare to educate readers about the reality of the sainted trans identified men demanding access to women and girls undressing.
Her comments were a real game changer.

Nigel Farage wouldn't even get into the Democrats.

Chuck Schumer would be saying "Hastu gezeyn in dayn lebm? This guy wants to nationalise British Steel! Communism!"

I assume the "red paint" comment is about this:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62nmrm5n05o

Well I was out in my local area this morning and there wasn't a red painted road in sight.

No flags either, as it goes.

Maybe it was a reference to white paint being thrown on the ULEZ cameras in London?

There is still bunting and flags up for V-J Day. I wonder how much some people from outside of the country are reading all the conflicting stories and just assuming the worst.

Offering sanctuary to persecuted minorities or allowing pharmaceutical companies to profit from healthcare that has been banned in other counties because of ethical concerns?

I disapprove in principle of pedestrian crossings being painted in anything other than black and white (looking at you Camden Council with your Pride crossings) but it seems to refer to this outbreak of people raising Union and St George's flags, which has annoyed certain Labour council that have been perfectly cool with Palestinian flags flying for months on end.

Yes, a distinct possibility.

Thinking about it, I did see one flag in a shop window recently, but it was a Crystal Palace one left over from the community shield final, and not going to cause riots round here.

Yes we have a few houses and businesses with flags and signage describing their part or showing what that business or family did on the original V-J day.

And people stuck up flags on the road over passes etc. that haven’t come down.

I think there are some excellent observations in that article. Thanks @SionnachRuadh

Oddly enough, a couple of American states have recently redesigned their flags. I approve of this in principle, because American state flags are often really ugly, which is why you rarely see them except when the governor is giving a speech.

Minnesota has a new flag that looks very similar to the flag of Somalia, and I'm sure has absolutely nothing to do with the large and politically influential Somali community in Minneapolis.

Utah has adopted the Beehive Flag of Mormon theocracy, but nobody seems to have noticed that.

Are we talking about the same United States of America?

Do they not do flags any more? I thought it was kind of their thing?

I have been very shocked by Tim Walz, he projected well in the VP campaign and it is appalling to see what he really is and has done. Poor children and young people of Minnesota. The topsy-turvey dissonance of Trump being the adult in the room when it comes to gender is an ongoing surprise.

You would have thought Trump, sociopathic trans teen shooters with their own gun collections, kids in schools pledging allegiance to the flag each day and all the GI insanity kick-started by John Money, Judith Butler and US billionaire TWs might have given @SeinfeldsMom second thoughts. But no.

As other posters have said, we're informed, we're good at arguing. You have to have something better than that if you're going to come at us.

Oh, and here's Kathleen Stock's latest, explaining why America just makes things worse:
https://unherd.com/2025/08/america-youre-not-helping/

You might be interested in this article by Justin Webb in today's The Times @Pluvia:

https://archive.ph/57INs

Donald Trump didn’t start this quiet war on woke

Like his Republican Party takeover or social media use, the president’s attack on universities simply tapped into a growing mood